Australia and New Zealand Travel Specialists

G’day!

Thanks for visiting our website!  We at GoWalkabout Travel are your Australia and New Zealand Travel Specialists for Alberta.

With over 30 years of designing customized itineraries to Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Tahiti, and Fiji we have a wealth of knowledge to assist you.

Our Australia and New Zealand Travel Specialists for the Alberta region are born and raised in the Lands Downunder. When planning your Australia and New Zealand Vacation not only are you given their local knowledge but you can feel assured that they will be with you from the start of your trip until the very end!

Here are some tips from our Australia and New Zealand Travel Experts on what you need to be mindful of when planning an Australia and/or New Zealand Vacation from Calgary or Edmonton.

1/ If you are a Canadian Citizen you will need an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) when you vacation in Australia and New Zealand, attend a conference or are on a business trip- your Australia and New Zealand Travel Agent can assist you with these. You must have at least six months validity left on your passport from the date that you arrive back into Canada and also declare any prior criminal records up front. We advise having the ETA visa issued prior to your airline ticket so you have pre-approval.

2/ The weather in Alberta can be up and down at the best of times so it is really important to stay on top of things by checking the Calgary and Edmonton Airport websites for any delays. Remember even if the weather is fantastic in Alberta your aircraft will be coming in from somewhere else in Canada and they could have delays from bad weather in another area of the country.  If you are departing from Calgary or Edmonton Airport and driving from regional areas i.e Red Deer, Lloydminster, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Stony Plain, Edson etc then please leave yourselves plenty of time. It is always better to be checked in early at the airport- so you can relax- then starting your holiday to Australia and/or New Zealand very stressed out! We personally advise three hours at an absolute minimum even if your first flight is a domestic one!

3/ Flying times from Edmonton/Calgary -Vancouver- Sydney Australia are just over 17 Hours in one direction without the stopover included. If you are only planning a trip to Australia with no other stopovers than Air Canada is your best choice to start you in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. If you are traveling to New Zealand or are combining a trip with Australia and New Zealand then flying with Air New Zealand from Vancouver to Auckland and then connecting onwards from New Zealand to Australia is your best option. Our Downunder Travel Experts in Calgary and Edmonton will help you with mapping this out to save on doubling back as much as possible. If you wish to visit The Cook Islands, Fiji or Tahiti then Air New Zealand has the best connections to these Islands in the South Pacific.

4/ Jet-lag always hits the worst when traveling from Australia and/or New Zealand to Alberta. Always allow yourself an extra day or two of rest time before starting back to work. You will be thanking us for this suggestion!

5/ Always plan your vacation to Australia and/or New Zealand so you arrive a day or two early if you have a guided tour in either country planned. This will give you some time not only to adjust to the time zone but also to not stress if your flight is delayed with connecting onto your coach tour or self-drive itinerary. Of course, your Aussie and New Zealand Travel Experts are always there to assist you if there are any problems with our 24/7 emergency number.

6/ Book early! We need time to plan and design you a once in a lifetime customized holiday Down Under. The earlier you book the better chance you have of getting to stay in the best accommodation options and having your first choice on small group tours. Australia and New Zealand can get very busy with conferences and other events these days- plus you need to be mindful of the little things like the weather and school holidays. Don’t worry your Australia and New Zealand Vacation Specialist will guide you through it all and make it very stress-free!

7/ Consider having a mixture of accommodation when planning a trip to Australia and/or New Zealand. There are some tight luggage restrictions on some domestic flights these days and if you are going for several weeks or more you will need to do some laundry. We suggest a mix of apartment stays, hotels and if you are really after a treat then consider a luxury stay in the beautiful Whitsunday Islands in Australia or overnight on Doubtful or Milford Sound in New Zealand. We work closely with you to work out what suits your wants and needs when having a tailor-made trip designed to the South Pacific. If you are traveling with children we can also assist you to make sure the accommodation suits your family’s needs!

8/ Be aware of time zones! Just like Canada, not all areas of Australia and New Zealand have Daylight Saving. When on your flight always listen to the flight attendants to check if the time has changed. Even states that sit above each other have different time zones during daylight saving… i.e Sydney and Brisbane.

9/ Keep an eye on the Calgary and Edmonton Airport websites on your day of departure! It is really important that you check and double-check the Airport website departures to make sure your flight is operating on time. Most airlines these days do not advise if there are any schedule changes or delays right prior to a flight date. If you do discover your flight has been delayed then speak up to the airline who is delaying you or contact your Australia and New Zealand Travel Specialist for assistance!

10/ For those folk who are planning connections from Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, High Level, Cold Lake or any other regional Airport in Alberta please make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to connect in Edmonton or Calgary. There may be bad weather and delays in your area or in an area that your aircraft is coming from that could upset your whole itinerary. As you all know often in these destinations outside of Edmonton and Calgary there are limited flights and the last thing you wish to do is miss your major connection flight in Vancouver or LA to commence your Vacation.

We look forward to designing you a customized itinerary for your vacation from Alberta to Australia and/or New Zealand.

We can tailor-make you an amazing once in a lifetime trip whether you are planning an action-packed family holiday, attending a conference, celebrating a wedding anniversary, taking advantage of that well-deserved graduation gift, escaping the Canadian Winter as a Snowbird, Hiking/Tramping Adventure Holiday, enjoying retirement and Golfing in New Zealand or at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club or finally getting to relax on that luxury romantic honeymoon.

For more information on planning a vacation from Calgary or Edmonton to Australia and/or New Zealand with your New Zealand and Australia Travel Specialists then click on the link below.

P.S Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below!